Logic, opportunities and new landscape of China polyester industrial chain relocation
——Ni Guomiao, Head of Polyester Team & Lead Analyst, CCFGroup

Mr. Ni noted that relocation of the chemical fiber and textile industry has been inevitable as labor and resource cost competitiveness has intensified, with the bulk of corporate migration occurring after 2012. China's textile exports have risen while apparel exports have declined, with ASEAN countries gaining apparel export share on the back of cost advantages. Post-2018, the pace of overseas expansion accelerated and extended further along the polyester value chain. Preferred destinations for overseas investment include Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East and North Africa, and Latin America. Domestically, the water-jet loom sector has served as a leading indicator of industrial relocation, with associated texturizing operations moving in tandem, primarily toward northern Jiangsu and inland provinces. These shifts have in turn driven changes in polyester capacity distribution, and a new polyester industry map is gradually taking shape. He also addressed relocation dynamics in Xinjiang, where an industrial development pattern of "oil in the north, textiles in the south" has emerged, with polyester chain capacity expanding in a spiraling upward trajectory.






